Coin holder and visual display



June 6, 1967 M. c. WELLS 3,323,644

COIN HOLDER AND VISUAL DISPLAY Filed Jan. 25, 1965 INVENTOR ,L /6.7 @(-l- ,fr/C715 Mmes @WELLS United States Patent O 3,323,644 COIN HGLDER AND VISUAL DISPLAY Miies C. Wells, 512 Parkwood Road, Rosemount, Minn. 55068 Filed Ian. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,780 10 Claims. (Cl. 20G-.83)

This invention relates to a coin holding and display device primarily adapted to encourage children to save coins; in particular, it concerns an improved coin holding device characterized by novel means for retaining coins while at the same time stimulating a desire to use the device for collecting and saving coins.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved coin holding and display device. Other objects of the invention are: to provide an improved coin holding device incorporating means for encouraging the placement of coins therein; to provide a device of this type wherein the coins are arranged upon a board in a novel manner; to provide a device of this type wherein novel means are used to conceal the coin receptacles; tol provide a novel coin holding and display device that may be used as a vertical coin bank; to provide an improved coin holder and display device that is simple and inexpensive to construct, attractive in appearance and functional in nature.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein a representative embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the front display surface of a preferred form of the invention with all of the coin receiving receptacles shown as filled with coins;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the coin receiving receptacles partially filled;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the back side of the board illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is .an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View similar to FIGURE 4 showing alternate structure for accomplishing the same punpose as the structure shown in FIGURE 4; e

FIGURE 6 is a view, partially in section, taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a plan View of the front display surface of an alternate form of the invention with part of the adhesive covering overlying the board removed; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

Generally speaking, according to the principles of my invention, I provide a relatively stilic board having a front display surface which is equipped with a series of indented coin receiving and holding receptacles. The receptacles are arranged in a pattern which is readily identifiable when substantially all of the receptacles are filled with coins. I further provide means for removably covering the open coin receptacles before a coin is placed therein so as to conceal the pattern until all of the coins are in placed upon the display surface of the board. The covering means includes either a series of plugs which fit into the receptacles to mask the same from creating the pattern or a sheet of adhesive material which overlies the receptacles and which is scored Ior perforated into indi- 32,323,644 Patented June 6, 1967 vidual sections each covering an area of the board small enough to prevent the recognition of the pattern before substantially all of the board is exposed.

Turning now to a consideration of the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5 thereof, the preferred form of the invention, designated in its entirety by the reference character A, is made up of a generally flat relatively stiff board 1t) having a front. display surface 12 and a rear surface 14. Board 10 may be fabricated of wood, cardboard, particle board, plastic or other suitable material and may be of any desired shape although it is shown in the drawing as square for purposes of illustration. It is provided with a series of coin receiving and holding receptacles 16 which take the form of recessed circular apertures 18 each of which extends below the plane of surface 12 a suiiicient depth to surroundingly engage and retain a coin therein. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, holes 19, of smaller radius than and in register with apertures 18, extend through the rear surface 14 of the board 10 resulting in an annular shoulder 20 which is recessed below surface 12 and which serves as a backing for the coins that are inserted in apertures 18. Coin receptacles 16 are arranged upon board 10 so as to form an identifiable pattern thereon, as indicated by the reference numeral 22. That is to say, they are laid out to form the outline of, for example, a caricature of a popular animal or person. To conceal the pattern 22 until substantially all of the receptacles 16 are filled with coins, I provide a plug 26 for each receptacle 16 which fits into each aperture 18 and abuttingly engages the shoulder 20. The thickness of plug 26 corresponds to the distance between surface 12 of board 10 and the front face of shoulder 20 so that the pattern 22 is effectively concealed when each plug 26 is in place upon the surface 12 of board 10. An alternate plug and board construction is shown in FIG'URES 5 and 6 of the drawing wherein a tapered plug 27 is utilized. In this construction, the plug 27 and board are preferably formed of plastic with the plug 27 being held in place by means of a series of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending support members 28. The small end 29 of the plug extends through the board and is flush with both surfaces, as shown in FIGURE 5.

An alternate form of the invention, designated in its entirety by the reference character B, is illustrated in FIG- URES 7 and 8 of the drawing. In this embodiment, a generally flat relatively stiff board 30, similar to board It) and having a front display surface 32 and rear surface 34 is shown. A plurality of coin receiving and holding receptacles 36 are recessed from surface 32 of board 3l) a distance suiiicient to engage and restain coins. As in the case of board lil and receptacles 16, the coin receptacles 36 of board 30 are laid out in an identifiable pattern, shown in part by the reference numeral 33. To conceal the complete pattern 38 until substantially `all of the receptacles 36 are filled with coins, I provide `a sheet of opaque material 40 which overlies and is adhesively secured to the surface 32 of board 10. The sheet 40 is divided into a series of individual relatively small sections 42 by scored lines or perforations 44 which constitute planes of weakness permitting each section 42 to be torn off `and peeled away from surface 32 to expose a relatively small area of coin receptacles 36. With this construction, it is evident that only when virtually all of the sections 42 have been removed pursuant to filling the receptacles 16 thereunder with coins will the shape and form of the pattern 38 be revealed.

The foregoing description has dealt with a new and irnproved device for encouraging children to save coins. By appealing to a childs imagination and curiosity the invention is suited for use by banks, schools, homes and others which seek to foster the idea of saving money at an early age. By revealing the pattern of the coin receptacles step by step as they are filled it is possible to maintain interest in the savings concept long after its merits have been passed along by word of mouth or other forms of communication.

Another means for concealing the pattern created by the coin receptacles would beto leave each receptacle open (that is to say, without either the plug 26 or the sheet 40) and of the same color as the display surface of the board. Thus the indented surface of each coin receptacle would blend with the display surface of the board and the pattern would remain concealed until the receptacles were filled.

It is evident that changes within the skill of those versed in the art may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In some instances features may be added; in others, features may be omitted. In the case of the coin receptacles and the pattern resulting from their arrangement upon the board it is clear that other constructional details and shapes other than those specified may be used without departure from the spirit of the invention. Where the same or similar results may be achieved by the use of equivalents, substitution of the equivalent may be made without departing from the inventive concept.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by summarization in the appended claims, all features of patentable novelty residing in the invention.

I claim:

I. In a coin holder and visual display device adapted to encourage the placement of coins therein, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having a display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image thereon, and means for removably concealing each of the receptacles on the display surface of said board until a coin is placed therein whereby to prevent recognition of the image outline until substantially all f the receptacles are filled with coins.

2. The device described in claim I wherein the display surface of said board is flat and said coin receptacles are recessed lwith respect thereto, and wherein said removable concealing means includes means for covering each of said receptacles, said concealing means being coplanar with the display surface of said board and overlying said receptacles.

3. rl`he device described in `claim 2, wherein said concealing means consists of a sheet of material adhesively overlying the display surface `of said board, said sheet being divided by planes of weakness to form a plurality of individually removable sections each covering an area of the display surface 4of said board, the area covered by each of the said sections being small enough to prevent recognition `of the image outline when it is removed from said board.

4. The device described in claim 2 wherein said concealing means consists of removable plugs adapted for insertion into each of the said coin receptacles.

5. In a coin holder and visual display device, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having `a substantially fiat display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of recessed coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image thereon, and

a sheet of material adhesively secured to and overlying and concealing the coin receptacles on the display surface of said board,

said sheet of material being divided into individually removable sections each of which is small enough to prevent recognition of the image outline until substantially all of the sections are removed from the board.

6. In a coin holder and visual display device, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having a substantially flat display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image thereon,

each of said coin receptacles having a recessed coin supporting surface, and

a removable concealing plug positioned within each of said coin receptacles and supported by said supporting surface,

said plug being generally liush with the display surface of said board.

7. In a coin holder `and visual display device adapted to encourage the placement of coins therein, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having a display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of indented coin receptacles arranged to create an identifiable outline identifying an image thereon,

the indented surface of each coin receptacle being of the same color as the said display surface to prevent recognition of the pattern until substantially all of the receptacles `are filled with coins.

8. In a coin holder and visual display device, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having a substantially flat display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image thereon,

each of said coin receptacles having a recessed coin supporting surface,

a removable concealing plug positioned within each of said coin receptacles and supported by said supporting surface,

said plug being generally ush with the display surface of said board,

said coin supporting surface being generally annular in shape and wherein said plug is generally of a cylindrical shape.

9. In a coin holder and visual display device, the combination of a coin receiving and holding board having a substantially flat display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image thereon,

each of said coin receptacles having a recessed coin supporting surface,

a removable concealing plug positioned within each of said coin receptacles and supported by said supporting surface,

said plug `being generally flush with the dis- -play surface of said board,

said coin supporting surface of each coin receptacle consisting of a series of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending members.

10. In a coin holder and visual display device, the combination of:

a coin receiving and holding board having a substantially at display surface,

the display surface of said board having a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in the outline of an identifiable image theron,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Evans 220-92.9 Evans 229-92-9 Ensley 206-.83 James 206-1 Rohr et al. 229-92-9 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. M. L. RICE, Assistant Examinez'. 

1. IN A COIN HOLDER AND VISUAL DISPLAY DEVICE ADAPTED TO ENCOURAGE THE PLACEMENT OF COINS THEREIN, THE COMBINATION OF: A COIN RECEIVING AND HOLDING BOARD HAVING A DISPLAY SURFACE, THE DISPLAY SURFACE OF SAID BOARD HAVING A PLURALITY OF COIN RECEPTACLES ARRANGED IN THE OUTLINE OF AN IDENTIFIABLE IMAGE THEREON, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY CONCEALING EACH OF THE RECEPTACLES ON THE DISPLAY SURFACE OF SAID BOARD UNTIL A COIN IS PLACED THEREIN WHEREBY TO PREVENT RECOGNITION OF THE IMAGE OUTLINE UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE RECEPTACLES ARE FILLED WITH COINS. 